The Supreme Court has received a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) asking for the cancellation of the September 14 Asia Cup T20 cricket match between India and Pakistan.
In the continental competition, India is currently playing the United Arab Emirates.
Four petitioners, all law students, have filed the plea, claiming that it is against the national interest to hold the match in the wake of the Pahalgam Terror Attack and Operation Sindoor and that it diminishes the sacrifices made by the military and the citizens who died.
“Playing with Pakistan conveyed the contradictory image that we are enjoying sports with a nation that harbours terrorists while our men are giving their lives for their cause. Additionally, it may cause emotional distress to the relatives of those who perished at the hands of Pakistani terrorists. According to Live Law, “the nation’s dignity and citizens’ safety come before entertainment.”
The petitioners argue that national security, citizen lives, and military personnel sacrifices cannot be subordinated to cricket. They contend that permitting the game to go on is bad for the country’s integrity, security, and morale.
The petitioners have asked the Supreme Court to order the Ministry of Youth Affairs to put the National Sports Governance Act, 2025 into effect in addition to asking that the well-known India-Pakistan match be cancelled. Additionally, they have asked that the National Sports Federation take responsibility of season ball cricket.
Another party-respondent is the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The plea emphasises how urgent it is that the BCCI be placed under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports’ jurisdiction and held to the standards established by the Act.
In order to ensure transparency, oversight, and adherence to national interests, the petition contends that the BCCI will inevitably come under the jurisdiction of the National Sports Board, which was established by the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, once it is operationalised. Ansar Ahmad Chaudhary, the Advocate-on-Record, filed the PIL.
India
